Federal Aviation Administration October 20, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to modify 3 VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways (V-140, V-272, and V-440) in the vicinity of Sayre, OK. The FAA is proposing this action due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Sayre, OK (SYO), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) facility that provides navigation guidance for a portion of the airways listed. This action would enhance the route structure within the National Airspace System.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Wakeeney, KS. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Trego Wakeeney Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. The airport name also is correctly noted in the airspace description.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-26-02 for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R, and V helicopters. AD 98-26-02 required determining whether the main rotor shaft (MRS) was used in repetitive external lift (REL) operations, performing a nondestructive inspection (NDI) for cracks, replacing any unairworthy MRS, and establishing retirement lives for each REL MRS. This new AD retains some of the requirements of AD 98-26- 02 but determines a new retirement life for each MRS, expands the applicability to include additional helicopters, and requires removing from service any MRS with oversized dowel pin bores. This AD was prompted by the manufacturer's reevaluation of the retirement life for the MRS based on torque, ground-air-ground (GAG) cycle, and fatigue testing. We are issuing this AD to prevent MRS structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.